Round & Oval-Bezel Settings => with 49 photo's

   I have put together 4 extensive topics consisting of 49 photo's into just one essay. Just collecting this large number of displays was fairly easy, but now came the challenge of writing 'tutorial notes' for each of them.

 REMEMBER, there is still no charge for my time and labour.

 With this photo you can see that the hammer-hitting must be exactas this diagram suggests. There must be NO SPACES remaining between the stone and the Bezel. 

 I suggest that you use a hammer with the weight of only 85grams, if it is heavier, then you will endure tough times as in breaking the gentle stone.

 

 This heavy hammer is too heavy and the face covers your line of sight.

 This hammer is still too heavy as it still covers the face of the stone, get rid of it....NOW.

 

 Now we are using the correct size, now lets proceed further with the Bezel Setting, agree?

  I decided to use a bezel that is 25% larger than the selected stone.

 

  What kind of bur is required? As it is written. "Thou Shall Not Use Any Bur that Has It's Teeth Too Close Together" for example a 156C (aka 'undercutting bur').

  For this kind of Bezel Setting I and you should use a HSS (High Speed Steel) bur and nothing else!!! These burs are more aggressive and you can see the separation of the teeth.

 Before you use the HSS bur I really suggest that you use a small round bur and create a line just below the tip of the bezel. This line, or indentation will act as a 'guide' for the HSS bur cutting. This will prevent any cutting running amok while you starting to do your initial bur cutting.

The most important aspect of Bezel Setting is to keep the stone FLAT not crooked, as shown here.

  In this photo is what I mean, the stone must lay FLAT.

 WOOPS, this stone slightly crooked. This will interfere with the Bright-Cutting further in this process.

  This Full Bezel is nicely set and ready for the Reciprocating Hammer to do it's work.

  I prefer to put my ring into an "Inside Ring Holder", these can be bought at any tool supplier in your country or 'online'. This device gives you much contact for your setting, but there are limitations. 

 If you are using this ring "Inside, Ring Holder" clamp, please keep the ring tightly secured.

 

  

 With your Reciprocating Hammer I ask you to put the ring on a steel mandrel, why? If you use a wooden or plastic clamp, the 'hitting power' gets easily absorbed and the setting is not functioning to your expectations.

 As the hammer anvil is rectangular, it has two widths. 'narrow & wide' With the narrow width, your hitting will have little or limited contact.

 With this 'wide hammering' your anvil now has more contact to the metal. But realize that the anvil must not get too close to the stone, or breakage will occur.

 I use an Onglette #2 graver that is highly polished on one side, why is this? I want my graver to Bright-Cut the metal all around the inside of the Bezel. DON'T USE A FLAT GRAVER. If you do use a Flat graver, the blade will make ripple or faceting in the metal. This will not occur with an Onglette tool.

 When you are ready to start the cleaning process please use your #180 grit Pumice wheel and proceed with the utmost caution. Keep your wheel at 30-45 degree angle.

 

 The next step is to use the your Pumice wheel at #1,000 grit. This will give you a near polishing effect and avoiding the uses of a cloth polishing wheel.

    

   Only on the shank of the ring may you use your "Medium" grade, Emery Wheel. 

 

If you need to remove any marks on the ring itself, do so NOW.

 This is the most important diagram for setting an Oval stone and not getting the stone crooked.

 These are my collection of burs that have helped me in setting stones. Those 'half-round' burs can be used in Cabochon settings with a Flat underneath surface.

=>"ROUND STONE SETTINGS."<=

 Once that the stone is set, the next step is to Bright-Cut the inner circle of metal. Again, the hammer is held at a 45degree angle.

  In this photo, you can see the highly polished surface of the face of the hammer.

 This is my 85gram hammer that I use in 100% of my hammering. I can see just where the contact is in relationship to the Bezel.

  I can see the actual 'contact spot' to the Bezel, I wouldn't ever use a wooden ring clamp, why? I want all of the 'hitting power' to be transferred to the Bezel and not absorbed to the leather or wood.

  If a hammer-anvil is desired in your hitting, don't let the steel anvil get too close to the stone.

In this photo, you can easily see that there are no defects or aberrations on the surface of the Bezel tip. The hammer is kept so very clean an already the ring top is smooth to the 'touch'.

  In this diagram, you see just how important the hitting is to the metal, with no spaces anywhere.

The inside Bezel needs to be kept very clean. I won't accept any ring setting if it's seen to be in a 'rough' appearance.

 I will Bright-Cut as with my Oval setting prior to this Round setting.

 If there are defects in the cutting then this is due to fact that the graver is not kept sharp and smooth. Just get rid of the defects in the front of the graver blade.

 Let it be put to your oil-stone again and resharpen the face of the cutting angle.

 

 To avoid any 'rippling' don't let the graver point get in contact to the 'facets' of the stone. Just aim for the metal.

 For a smaller Bezel I usually file with a narrow Pillar or Triangular file of #4 grit, #2 grit is too coarse.

 On smaller Bezel tubes, I would use my Pumice Wheels #180 grit, as well as any larger size of Bezels. As I did with the large Oval stone, this process still applies to the smaller stones.

 Following the Pumice Wheel of #180 grit, I would now use #1,000 grit 'Polishing' Pumice Wheel.

 Isn't this ring just so darned beautiful, size doesn't matter, it's the care and skill that has gone into it.

 

Here are the collection of various 'finishing burs' that I use all the time.

 

  As you can see that I've kept the edges smooth and bright. I haven't resorted to any cloth polishing wheel near the Bezel frame, the edges of the ring are now in absolute pristine condition, agree?

Diamond Faceting & Polishing (37 photos)

Although these photos were displayed earlier in my blog history. I'm now adding additional photos just for this "Behind the Scenes" essay.

 As I don't have the Diamond Polishing wheel that creates the 57 Facets, I used a flat top block of steel to demonstrate the positioning of the stone.

  This is a rough looking diamond that is named as "Boart". The diamond polisher will transform this rough looking stone into a Gem that will be worn in jewellery.

  The very first facet that will be cut is the "Table", as shown here.

 The beginning of the "Faceting Process" starts with securing this diamond into the 2 prongs for stability. These two metal-claws must be well tightened against the stone. The tube underneath protects the fragile Culet during this delicate cutting process.

 

 Only one facet will be made available for this long process of 'polishing'. Again, this stone must never ever move.

 These little facets are just that, 'little windows' as the Diamond Polisher needs to know where the 'grain' of the stone occurs. If not, any pressure on an undesirable or 'soft' spot could fracture & ruin the stone.

  Here are the beginnings of the "Upper, Crown (Girdle) Facets", these lay just below the Table.

 My Father (z"l) had to learn his craft & skill on such delicate stones. Once he passed his 'test', he then proceeded on with better looking gemstones.

 Upon arriving into Canada the "National Film Board" heard of my Father who was the first person to introduce Diamonds in Industry. This 15 minute movie was the very first time diamonds have been seen in North America apart of the regular jewellery trade.

                                                     

  In this photo are a pile of diamonds that at that time were not 'polished' into gem quality.

 What my Dad is starting is the "Bruting" process. This process will create a round smooth Girdle. The speeds shown in this photo can be adjusted by moving the leather pulleys along the rotating shaft.

  As my Dad is holding the Bruting holder, he is letting the diamond dust collect in the tray.

 There are many little 'windows' or 'facets' for the polisher examine which is the best angle to start the many 57 facets.

  After creating the initial cutting of the 'Table', the next step is to cut the 'Pavilion' facets.

  This was my Fathers' Diamond that he learned to do his Diamond Polishing circa 1930. Thus making this stone now 93 years being in our 'honoured' possession.

 This assortment of diamonds and weigh scales is what appeared in my Fathers film.

 Here is a vial of actual Diamond powder dust. This dust is placed upon the rotating polishing wheel, it sticks to the metal wheel with the aid of mineral oil or a high viscus oil. 

Any residue of diamond being sloughed off does not get thrown away, but with the oil-base it stays on the rotating wheel which adds to the diamond collection. Great idea?

This a sharp steel blade (when hit with a hammer) that will be break a diamond into two sections. Thus giving the diamond polisher two new diamonds to cut & shape, this process is named "Cleaving".

 

 To have the correct angles of the Pavilion, this well-used simple looking gauge shows the numbers as required angles. The diamond polisher just puts the stone (Table laying flat) on the brass bar and it will easily determine the correct angle.

 

 

Long before there were accurate electronic scales, there was only these scales being seen in these photos.

 In this photo, I'm using a Cubic Zirconia as a 'photographic, sample' stone. These claws are showing shades of blue, the reasoning is that there is a lot heat being raised during the polishing processes. You can see just where the Culet is now resting & also being protected from any undue stress.

 

 Here is another 'polishing position' as the Diamond Polisher will be working on the Pavilion of the stone. He (or she) will invert the stone as needed just to gain greater access to the rotating polishing wheel.

  This apparatus is named as a "Dobb", but for this I'm using my GRS just for my picture taking.

For a closer look, I want to show where these 2 prongs will be tightly holding the stone.

  

  With the aid of my 10x power loupe, you can easily see the "Girdle" on this C.Z.

  

  Remember that this is not a genuine stone, but only a Cubic Zirconia. I am only showing the 'polishing process'.

   This exactly how the Pavilion is held against the rotating brass wheel that is lined with 100 grit Diamond Dust.

 There is a great amount of heat that is being built up in this process. Because of this, the prongs get soft and MUST be changed when required.

 Here is a (soft) Emerald that is on a Mohs Scale of 6 as a Diamond is at 10. Either way the polishing process is still the very lengthy as in polishing a Diamond.

 The exposed Pavilion is the facet that will be now polished. everything is accomplished 'one facet at a time'. Hence this whole process could take as long as one week, start to finish.

Here in this photo is the actual loupe in hand examining the CZ.

 

The light is not reflecting back to the eye.

 I just came across this very interesting 'footnote' as it pertains to this essay, hoping that it's useful to you.

 I'm showing what an "Industrial Diamond" looks like. These particular stones are not useable in the fine quality jewellery, but are phenomenal in the construction trade and other related fields.

 

 These diamond tools used and still even today for reshaping grinding wheels, why is this? There are no other stone that matches the strength as a diamond.

  You can see the fine angular sides of this stone, these are naturally formed by Nature. 

 The black colour of these stones has nothing to do with the strength. (The colour has also no importance either).  These are named "Diamond Tools". The name "CDT" was my Fathers company name "Canadian Diamond Tool", the #D307 designation was the design name for clients reordering needs.

 Many times there will be multiple stones set into these posts of steel with layers of these mini-diamonds put deeper into the posts. When one stone get broken or ruined, there is another stone further inside ready to be exposed and used.

  It's been an honour for me and my 'LEWY family' to explain how these Industrial Diamonds and polishing techniques came to fruition. Even in these modern days these methods haven't really changed.